Things Went Sideways....My Options?

[chicowoodduck]

Long story short....I applied for an O-A Visa from the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles.....was approved and somehow after the fact they lost my passport! ????  Had to get a new passport and once I did called the consulate back to request a new O-A visa for my new passport and was told to send in my documents once again.....few days pass and call from the consulate....sorry, have to re-apply with new documents and another $200 fee......so my question is....what are my options at this point?  My plan is to travel back to Thailand in October.......with the idea of getting a retirement extention of stay......FYI....I had an extention of stay for over 12 years but let it lapse when I came back to my home country for business last year...I still have a Thai bank account with SCB and driver's license in hand......????

 

 

[Caldera]

So THEY lost your passport, but they ask YOU to pay the fee once again? On top of having the hassle and paying for a new passport. Have they no shame?

[BertM]

Xfer 800k to SCB via Swift xfer so it shows up as foreign xfer. Come in visa exempt. Go apply for 90 day non O visa based on 800k for  2,000 THB. Then, apply for extension based on retirement after 2 mths seasoning with 800k for 1,900 THB. Depending on what office you use, they may do 90-day & 12 mths both at same time. They did for me in Jomtien. I got 15 mths on my first visit, but that was in 2016.

[timendres]

33 minutes ago, Caldera said:

So THEY lost your passport, but they ask YOU to pay the fee once again? On top of having the hassle and paying for a new passport. Have they no shame?

They have none.

[tabarin]

One would wonder how it is possible for a passport to go missing within a embassy.

[Senior Player]

The real issue here is that the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles lost your original passport. They claimed that your visa was approved but that they somehow lost it somewhere in the process. I don't know how they relayed this information to you and how you gave your response, but you probably should've done more at the time to hold them to account. A passport doesn't just go missing as they're supposed to have a system in place to prevent this. Question is, was it stolen by an employee at the Consulate with the intention of it being sold on the black market? Personally, I wouldn't have let them off the hook so easily when they said they'd lost it. Your passport must still be in their building, and it will be contained within a certain part of the building. They handle passports every single day so it can’t be said that they “probably have lost your passport” It will be in that building somewhere. I would've spoken to the highest authority there and demanded they find it and waiver all fees for their incompetence.  

[Puchaiyank]

Your option is to bow deeply with the $200 in your hand...Thai corruption appears to extends to all areas of government...learn to like it...????

[bluebluewater]

2 hours ago, Senior Player said:

The real issue here is that the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles lost your original passport. They claimed that your visa was approved but that they somehow lost it somewhere in the process. I don't know how they relayed this information to you and how you gave your response, but you probably should've done more at the time to hold them to account. A passport doesn't just go missing as they're supposed to have a system in place to prevent this. Question is, was it stolen by an employee at the Consulate with the intention of it being sold on the black market? Personally, I wouldn't have let them off the hook so easily when they said they'd lost it. Your passport must still be in their building, and it will be contained within a certain part of the building. They handle passports every single day so it can’t be said that they “probably have lost your passport” It will be in that building somewhere. I would've spoken to the highest authority there and demanded they find it and waiver all fees for their incompetence.  

Yeah yeah tough guy.  I'm sure that would have worked.  Just in case it didn't what would be your next move?

[jastheace]

5 minutes ago, bluebluewater said:

Yeah yeah tough guy.  I'm sure that would have worked.  Just in case it didn't what would be your next move?

my round, same again? BIG CHANG PLEASE

[faraday]

38 minutes ago, bluebluewater said:

Yeah yeah tough guy.  I'm sure that would have worked.  Just in case it didn't what would be your next move?

Try & ridicule other people - a bit like you, na?

 

[jastheace]

5 minutes ago, faraday said:

Try & ridicule other people - a bit like you, na?

 

+1 . I think he's just had 1 too many tonite

[sqwakvfr]

Was the passport mailed or did you walk it in?  Either way a police report should be filed.  A passport is a sensitive document and a report should be filed in case your passport is used in any potential criminal activity. 

 

If you used walk up service at the very least call the LAPD Hollywood division and ask if they will take a report for a missing/lost/stolen passport. If the LAPD hesitates or refuses(this could happen because the LAPD is not great in dealing with the public) then take a shot and call the FBI in Westwood.   If you can get a police report then contact the consulate again and advise them that they are responsible for the missing/lost/stolen passport.  The consulate at the least should compensate you for the cost of obtaining a new passport.  

 

If the passport has gone missing because of the US Postal Service then you can file a report with the Postal Inspection Service(Mail Police).  

[chainarong]

4 hours ago, Senior Player said:

The real issue here is that the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles lost your original passport. They claimed that your visa was approved but that they somehow lost it somewhere in the process. I don't know how they relayed this information to you and how you gave your response, but you probably should've done more at the time to hold them to account. A passport doesn't just go missing as they're supposed to have a system in place to prevent this. Question is, was it stolen by an employee at the Consulate with the intention of it being sold on the black market? Personally, I wouldn't have let them off the hook so easily when they said they'd lost it. Your passport must still be in their building, and it will be contained within a certain part of the building. They handle passports every single day so it can’t be said that they “probably have lost your passport” It will be in that building somewhere. I would've spoken to the highest authority there and demanded they find it and waiver all fees for their incompetence.  

There's probably six thousand people out there now all with the same name.

[jacko45k]

6 hours ago, Caldera said:

So THEY lost your passport, but they ask YOU to pay the fee once again? On top of having the hassle and paying for a new passport. Have they no shame?

A little island of Thainess in LA......

[flexomike]

6 hours ago, BertM said:

Xfer 800k to SCB via Swift xfer so it shows up as foreign xfer. Come in visa exempt. Go apply for 90 day non O visa based on 800k for  2,000 THB. Then, apply for extension based on retirement after 2 mths seasoning with 800k for 1,900 THB. Depending on what office you use, they may do 90-day & 12 mths both at same time. They did for me in Jomtien. I got 15 mths on my first visit, but that was in 2016.

He is applying for an OA

[Number 6]

That's insane. You need to report that. Get a record and send to DOS. That loss is on you.

 

I'd never step foot in the country again. Contact the LA Times. 

 

That woman with no hair is absolutely frazzled assuming she's still there.

 

Add insult to injury make you pay again and I must say like a lemming you apparently do.

 

I'd have gone nuclear

[Number 6]

2 hours ago, bluebluewater said:

Yeah yeah tough guy.  I'm sure that would have worked.  Just in case it didn't what would be your next move?

Police. Theft of passport. Identity theft.

[mtls2005]

As the OP already has a new (replacement passport) the old one has been cancelled and red-flagged.

 

Not clear if it was lost within the Thai Consulate or in the return mail. Hardly matters at this point.

 

Options:

 

re-apply (one hopes it would be approved and the new passport would not go missing)

start making monthly qualifying foreign transfers of 65,000 now, or transfer 800,000

enter on a TVE, convert to 90, then extend that based on income/leniency or 800,000.

 

Assuming you arrive in October, the 800,000 would be seasoned by Dec, and/or a pattern of ~ 4 months foreign transfers would be approved.

 

 

[Dnyy]

7 hours ago, Caldera said:

Have they no shame?

From my experience, no embassy/consulate has any shame.

[petedk]

Police. Theft of passport. Identity theft.

That would be the first thing I would do. Even before applying for a new passport.

Sent from my SM-C710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[BertM]

3 hours ago, flexomike said:

He is applying for an OA

Read his post. He did apply for an O-A. Now he's asking for options to get an extension in Thailand without having to go back to Thai consulate in LA.

Another sob story... he probably lost his passport himself after getting it back in mail with visa stamp then asked about getting new stamp for free. Now, hes on here whining like so many others do. I'm done reading. Will take a self imposed 1 month break to go enjoy my retirement. Bye bye.. 

[newatthis]

43 minutes ago, BertM said:

Read his post. He did apply for an O-A. Now he's asking for options to get an extension in Thailand without having to go back to Thai consulate in LA.

Another sob story... he probably lost his passport himself after getting it back in mail with visa stamp then asked about getting new stamp for free. Now, hes on here whining like so many others do. I'm done reading. Will take a self imposed 1 month break to go enjoy my retirement. Bye bye.. 

Promise? And take the time out .to study your own hypocrisies and finger pointing. You called this man a liar and you've never met him, have you? That speaks heaps!

[chicowoodduck]

14 hours ago, Number 6 said:

Police. Theft of passport. Identity theft.

Yup, ticked off all those boxes.....end of story.....????

[chicowoodduck]

16 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Was the passport mailed or did you walk it in?  Either way a police report should be filed.  A passport is a sensitive document and a report should be filed in case your passport is used in any potential criminal activity. 

 

If you used walk up service at the very least call the LAPD Hollywood division and ask if they will take a report for a missing/lost/stolen passport. If the LAPD hesitates or refuses(this could happen because the LAPD is not great in dealing with the public) then take a shot and call the FBI in Westwood.   If you can get a police report then contact the consulate again and advise them that they are responsible for the missing/lost/stolen passport.  The consulate at the least should compensate you for the cost of obtaining a new passport.  

 

If the passport has gone missing because of the US Postal Service then you can file a report with the Postal Inspection Service(Mail Police).  

Yup, did that and they came up with nothing....other than the fact that they stated the embassy never mailed the passport according to the tracking number....????

[chicowoodduck]

Thanks for all the advice....it was and is a <deleted> storm from the get go....got tired of all the phone calls to the embassy about the issue....got stone walled at each conversation......I think it was sold on the black market...had visa for China, Cambodia, Laos, VIet Nam, Australia in the 52 pages......the police report has been filed and a report sent to the passport agency so hope that someone gets caught at the border....????????

[mtls2005]

8 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

I think it was sold on the black market

 

Why?

 

If it's been reported lost, missing or stolen then it has been cancelled and red-flagged, as it would have been when you got a new passport. The quantity of visas would not make the passport more valuable.

 

Not worth anything, other than perhaps for identifity theft.

 

The second passport to go missing at an official consulate will raise all sorts of red flags, both with Thais and with U.S. officials. You've done your duty by filing a police report, and reporting the passport lost or missing to the passport agency when obtaining a new one.

 

If you're registered for any of the Trusted Traveler Programs (like TSA Pre check, Global Entry, etc.) make sure you update those with your new PP details, this can be done easily on line with your TTP account. Also update other relevant profiles, like airlines. 

 

 

 

[sqwakvfr]

1.  You did the right things when a passport is stolen/missing/lost.  The US State Department has said in the past a passport number that is comprised is not a big deal.  But a passport that is lost/missing/stolen is a gigantic deal and State and/or local law enforcement should be notified immediately(this can even done online on state.gov)

 

2.  For many actually going to a Thai Embassy/Consulate is not easy but I have never liked mailing my passport unless I can use FedEx or UPS.  Unfortunately the Thai Consulate only allows US Postal Service for mail Visa Service.  

 

Good luck on your next step(s).

 

I plan actually going to the LA Thai Consulate for a new OA in the near future.  I have budgeted staying in So Cal for at least 2 weeks to accomplish this.  

[Suradit69]

On September 1, 2019 at 6:10 AM, sqwakvfr said:

Was the passport mailed or did you walk it in?  Either way a police report should be filed.  A passport is a sensitive document and a report should be filed in case your passport is used in any potential criminal activity. 

Obviously he had to report it missing in order to get a new one.

[Blue Muton]

On 9/1/2019 at 4:56 AM, bluebluewater said:

Yeah yeah tough guy.  I'm sure that would have worked.  Just in case it didn't what would be your next move?

Postal. 

[freebyrd]

On 9/1/2019 at 12:24 AM, Caldera said:

So THEY lost your passport, but they ask YOU to pay the fee once again? On top of having the hassle and paying for a new passport. Have they no shame?

Thais have shame? ????